Two Bruised Roses
by luvin-the-coffee
Summary: Luke and Lorelai are the very definiton of perfect. But nothing is perfect. Season 5, love, angst and humour...warning season five spoilers... please read and review! Chapt. 2: Drunken blunders and a memory that sparks Luke into action!
1. Hesitation and Broken Hearts

AN: I haven't written anything Gilmore Girls in about a month, so I decided to come back with something a little bit different from my previous writing. This is a Luke and Lorelai fic and takes place….well, you can figure that one out. Hint, hint: Read any spoilers lately? Wellll, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Disclaimer: The characters and setting in this do not belong to me but are property of The WB.

* * *

He was sitting on the bridge. He couldn't remember the last time he had sat here. Was it 5, 10, 15 years ago? It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that he was sitting there, alone and thinking. Though, his mind was so swamped with nonsensical visions that he couldn't really call it thinking at all. Remembering, that was it, remembering and evaluating.

"Luuuuuuuuuuuuke."

He half expected to hear it. He didn't. He was alone. It was just him and the wind. He focused on it's gentle caress and felt the tears threatening to emerge. But he wouldn't cry…

The murmur of a woman to her toddler woke him from his semi- conscious state. He grunted in acknowledgement as the woman began to lead the child across the bridge. She was careful to avoid his eyes. Even strangers knew what they'd find there. He bustled to a stand and wiped his hands on his jeans. He avoided their eyes too; his focus had strayed to the wavering crystal of the pond. Beauty. He turned, and watched the woman and her child retreat, their hands were clasped together. Love. Luke turned and ambled away from his bridge of regret. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

The first step was the hardest. The second, the third she had lost count. But as she stood in front of the blazing white door, she knew that this would be the hardest step of them all. She swallowed, mustered all of the confidence that she could and reached for the knob. She turned it.

"Lorelai…?"

The word hung in the air, dwindled to the ground and shriveled in front of everyone's eyes. She turned back around, her face aflame.

No. She would not let the town's gossiping seniors discourage her. She turned again and entered, each stride longer then the previous.

"Lorelai honey…..so glad to see you out and about," the dumpling cooed. Lorelai had grown so accustomed to comparing her to a dumpling with arms and legs that she nearly replied by addressing her as so. But today was a serious day, so she caught herself.

"Hi Miss Patty, hi Babette, hi everyone."

Silence descended in all of it's deafening glory. Lorelai searched frantically for a quip, a joke, an airy comment, but none came. Her head was empty.

She kept walking, and stopped at the counter, ignoring the aroma of her favourite drug, ignoring the hum of gossip behind her and the shuffle of chairs as every member of the town strived to get a better view. This was their all time favorite. No admission, no aisles, no concession stand….but enough drama to get any movie- goer wringing their hands in anticipation.

Lorelai gulped and rung the bell. An Italian man, the essence of a snowball in his white chef's suit, lunged forward. He nodded to her.

"Luke's out."

"Oh."

"He said if anyone interesting came to tell them that, so I'm just doing my job."

"Oh."

"So, if you start crying again, it's not my fault."

"Oh."

Lorelai trembled. She wouldn't cry. Couldn't they see that the crying was an elaborate ruse to give them one more tid- bit to whisper about? She wouldn't cry. She didn't feel like appeasing the masses today. She felt like talking to him. No. She _had_ to talk to him. It was all her conscious would allow at this point in the game.

She turned, letting her feet guide her, she edged her way through the maze of chairs. Next time she'd ask them to make an aisle. As she headed out the door, she turned around and surveyed the townsfolk in front of her.

"You're gonna be ok, honey." A dumpling coated with sugar, yum. This town sure was starting to aggravate her.

"Next time bring some popcorn," she replied frostily. They frowned. This was not the Lorelai they knew. As she left the murmuring surged to a roar.

* * *

They met on the sidewalk, which was where most meetings took place in the quaint tuck away town of Stars Hollows. She froze. He stared. Silence lay low, waiting to pounce and lift them both, dangling them in it's razor filled mouth. It didn't get the chance.

"I- I- was just- uh- taking a walk- that's why I was at the-uh – well, I was gonna- but I…"

"I was just coming back from- Caesar said that you were out and I- it's not like I was…"

They both blushed. Luke bore holes in his shoes. Lorelai looked straight over his shoulder, acquiring a new fascination in the bench on the left side of the road. Lorelai spoke first, a stumbled speech that grew into a frenzied attempt to communicate something, anything, that would let him _know_.

"I- I was- well- first of all- you- you- left your Bert at my house- and your- uh- Doobie Brothers CD and I was just coming to drop those off because I know that you can't live without tools and doobies…I mean- um- well- you also left your flannel at my house- Ralph, I think I called him- you know the one with the random button at the front that I said could be his nose…and you said should be removed because I said that…well yeah- so Ralph- Bert and Doobie- I have them with me- in my uh- my- purse- and well- I thought I should return them to you- because heaven forbid you're without you're Doobie Brothers CD, I mean that would be like Einstein being without his light bulb or Courtney Love being without her joint. So- I can just-uh"

"Don't." It was a blunt "don't", but without that intention. It was meant to come out as more of a soft, reassuring kind of "don't", and that was how she heard it.

"Don't. Don't. You say it better then my mother. Why should I "don't"? Or not?"

"We need to talk." He shuffled uneasily, his lumberjack bulk idling from one leg to the other. He met her eyes, and she instantly took a step backwards.

"Talk? Talk? Hmmm, I think I have to be reacquainted with that word. It seems to me that in the last few weeks talk between you and I has been minimized to monosyllabic statements and cold toes. Actually, scratch that, just cold toes."

Once again, he had no idea what she was talking about. That thrilled him. Encouraged, he battled on.

"We- well- we had- a- misunderstanding. I think we have to talk about this. I mean it happens to everyone. I needed my space, my space caved in and made me claustrophobic. Now, we need to talk, about things other then cold toes and Courtney Love's joints. How's tonight sound?"

She heard herself say it, but it came from a heart, body and soul not her own.

"Can't."

"Oh. Why?"

"Christopher is coming over."

She saw him recoil. She had not meant to say that. She had already bestowed hurt. She had meant to take it away. But sometimes thingsjsut don't come out the way they are planned.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the cruelest of them all?

"Oh." She watched helplessly as his hands clenched, and unclenched, a classic sign of his temper threatening to rear it's ugly head. He refrained, and instead showed what he hoped to be the expression of "a good team player". He had had his chance, he had screwed it up, and now she was moving on. It was the story of his life, simple and sweet with all it's searing pain and sleepless nights.

"I guess I'll be seeing you." He turned. Those words had sealed his casket. He officially had nothing left to live for, well, except for baseball on a black and white t.v. and cold Campbell's soup. What a life.

At that moment he felt nothing but numb. She on the other hand, felt cold. Christopher wasn't coming over for dinner. Christopher hadn't come over for dinner in a very long time. But as he walked away she knew that Christopher would have to come over. She didn't have anyone else to catch her tears.

TBC (Hopefully.)

* * *

AN: Ok, so the last lines a bit on the soap- operatic side but I couldn't think of any other way to convey the emotion. I hope you liked it! Please review and tell me if I should continue! 


	2. Consolation and Trashy Romance Novels

AN: This is a Luke and Lorelai fic, that means that it is pro- LL which means that you don't have to worry about her falling madly in love with Chris and turning her back on Luke. I mean, that might happen. But it's all part of the drama, leading to a pro- LL ending. So please don't stop reading because you're afraid that I'll couple her and Chris, that is definitely NOT my plan, I'm a hardcore LL fan. Hahaha, well, with that being said, I hope you like the second edition to my story! Fun reading!

* * *

Lorelai descended the stairs with all of the feminine grace of an elephant and lunged for the door. She opened it. She found herself face to face with a Christopher, a _smiling _Christopher. She immediately yearned to slam the door in his face, and slide a message under it reading "This is a smile- free zone". But she didn't. She valued the saying "to every cloud there is a silver lining". Chris was her silver lining. 

Returning his with a hesitant half- smile, she held the door wide and ushered him inside. He shut the door behind him. They stood in silence for a minute. It was a comfortable silence. It was not dense and static like the one her and Luke had shared earlier that day. This was more of a glad- to- see- you- would- like- to- hug- you- and- talk- to-you- but- can't- right- now- because- we're- sharing- a- comfortable- silence kind of silence.

"So, my lady called?"

"That she did," Lorelai replied, making quick to duck her head. She didn't want him to see her blush.

"Is there something…?"

Yes. There was something. She would not have called him if there wasn't something.

"Come in the living room? It's a good name, fits. Seeing as that is where I have currently taken up residence, among the Kleenex boxes and trashy paperback novels. Did you know that I've read "White Dawn" at least six times and the heroine's boobs still aren't getting any bigger? Jeez, I mean last time I checked, the way to win a man over is to increase your bustage size by at least 10 but do these book divas get it? No. They still use their pick up lines and luscious blonde curls to get the man craving some hanky- panky."

Christopher sighed. It was worse then he expected, much worse.

"I see I should've brought reinforcements."

Lorelai snorted in acknowledgement and lead him into the living room. It did indeed look as if it had been lived in. It looked as if it had been lived in by 10 ravaging coyotes. Clothes lay haphazard, Kleenexes lay befriending the clothes and trashy romance novels lined the couch.

"Lor….?"

"Oh. Don't mind all of this. Decorative, hunh? I'm thinking of starting a business. I'm sure people would seize every opportunity to take advantage of my obvious interior decorating skills."

She saw him let out a steady exhale. She ignored it. He wasn't supposed to be exhaling. He was supposed to be consoling. She cut to the point, well, it was the point in a patented Lorelai Gilmore disguise.

"Well. They say that you should get back up on your feet after a man breaks your heart. I read to go for a new look- a new nose, a new wardrobe…or my personal favorite: a new bottle of Tequila, so that you self willingly plunge out of building and remodel your entire face. I went for the new room myself however, the Tequila was too risky. This new room sets the mood. It's got the whole I- don't- care- everything- sucks- more- then- a- vacuum- cleaner kinda ambience."

"Wow," He sat down. "Wow….so, that's what this is?"

How could men be so docile? Of course that's what it was. He had had her crying on the phone, the signs had been there; again, the sniffling had been there in multitude. He lacked a woman's intuition. If only men could be women.

"Yup," she sat down beside him.

"I knew something was up. You're missing the buzz. Empty shell plus buzz equals Lorelai. Something was gone from the equation. Now I know it's the buzz. And no wonder, the man who provided the buzz is…"

Lorelai nodded.

"You lost your buzz man. Damn. I knew this would be a bad day, I think the "Zit happens" billboard tipped me off."

She stifled a laugh, remembering sullenly that she was wearing black. Well, not in a literal sense, but she was wearing it none the same.

"Now Chris, let's be adults here. I'd prefer if you'd refer to my "Buzz man" as "My Ex- bastard- boyfriend", his real name."

"Lor… what can I do?"

She knew all too well what he could do. He could read through her macho man cover and realize that she considered Luke the polar opposite of her "Ex- bastard- boyfriend". He could realize that she still saw him as a friend. But more importantly, he could reassure her that Luke was the love of her life.

"Listen?"

He nodded. She knew he would. Chris had always been there to lend an ear, always would be. She sank deep into the feathery softness of a million Kleenexes and began her tale of woe.

* * *

He picked up the phone. He held it to his ear, imaging in the conversation in his head. He retracted, hung the phone up. He waited. The drone of a thousand screaming Red Socks fans invaded his thoughts and he trudged back to his seat. It was safe there. Within his small, enclosed space of masculinity, no one could touch him. He was free to be the hermit down the road. He was free to completely give his mind over to things without meaning. That was all his life had ever been before he met her. 

His mind suddenly settled on the zodiac he had shown her on their first date. He yanked his wallet out of the back pocket of his jeans, and opened it. There it was, waxen and aged. He held it up to his nose. Her scent still lingered there. Or at least, he imagined that it did. Everything seemed to be a trick of the imagination these days. His imagination was his only comfort, and how limited it was. He remembered the day she had given it to him…

"Hi. Do you work here? I am a single mother in intense need of some caffeine loaded goodness so that I can ACTUALLY manage to stay awake long enough to buy diapers. Coffee! Please…? "

"Wait your turn."

He turned and strode towards a signaling customer, ignoring the pesky gnat in his ear. He tried to hide his bemused smile as she stalked him around the entire diner, but it was all too much to hide.

"Come oooooon. Take pity on me. I'm cute. I'm peppy. I can sing you a little cheer if you want, give you a little motivation so that you'll actually be considerate enough to serve a customer on deaths very brink. Coffee, please…?"

He continued his rounds, trying in vain to ignore her. The nerve of some of these people!

"I swear- all I want is coffee. Pleaaaaase! What if I was a cute little doe- eyed puppy, would you give me coffee then? Nahhh, you don't look like a puppy kinda guy… ok, what if I was a deer, yeah a deer, and you had just loaded your gun, ready to shoot me. You asked me what my last parting wish was and I told you- in a very cute deer like voice may I add- that my last parting wish was to experience the awe inducing flavor of coffee one last time before you blew my brains out. Then would you give it to me? No, I didn't think so. You look like the headstrong type. Ok, Mr., do you know what? Just give me some damn coffee, or I'll go behind the counter myself and get some…I guess you're the silent type too, ok, let's try a different analogy, pretend I was a.."

He spun on his heel, catching her with a menacing glare, hoping desperately that he would not crack and let his amusement shine through.

"This is my diner. You're disrupting my customers. Do you have any idea how annoying you are? Sit down, be quiet and I'll get to you when I get to you."

It was the first time he really saw her, and it caught him off guard that such a good looking woman could be harboring such a mile- a- minute- tongue. He ignored his instinct to apologize, and turned to continuing taking an order.

"When's your birthday?"

It was an innocent question, too innocent coming from a woman such as this. He nodded to the woman he was serving,

"Apparently, they're cleaning the loon centre and one got free,"

The woman chuckled, and seeing that she was done ordering, he ambled back to the counter and behind.

"When's your birthday?"

She was back. He had hoped against hope that she had left. Well, not exactly that. Somewhere deep down inside, he felt a flicker of joy that she had not relinquished. He liked a determined woman

"Why?" His eyes narrowed.

"Just a friendly question, I wanted to see if you were compatible with Charlie Chaplin…two mute/ monosyllabic men would make a grand couple, don't ya think? When's your birthday?"

"Well, seeing as your intentions are hardly honourable, I'm not telling you."

"Come on. It's a perfectly innocent question, annnnd, if you must know, I have a lady friend outside who's been ogling you for years and wants to know when she should send you her pink laced panties."

His embarrassment showed in a scarlet flush that devoured his face.

"November 17th."

He watched as she slowly picked up the newspaper beside her, shuffled through a few pages and then raised her head to him.

"Got a pen?"

He had no idea in hell what she was doing. He answered in the only sensible way.

"Yes." He handed it to her, immediately regretting it.

She scribbled something hastily in the newspaper, ripped it out and handed it to him. Under the heading Scorpio, it read: "You will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she will go away."

He stifled a laugh and when he met her eyes, it was with a new understanding. She fascinated him beyond belief. At that moment, as their eyes connected, he felt the brink of reality fall away. He had fallen in love.

He turned, reached for the coffee pot and poured it's velvety richness into her waiting mug. She smiled. It made his day. It nearly about made his life.

5 minutes later, when she was ready to depart, she turned to him, and beaming said, "Keep the horoscope, put it in that oh so leathery wallet I know you must have. It'll make a good keep sake, maybe bring ya some luck one day."

She left. He wanted to run after her. But he couldn't. He had to work. He smoothed the scrap of paper out on the counter and stared at it with a smile before slipping it into his back pocket.

He was nothing but a love sick teenager now.

Luke struggled back to reality. If he had been able to keep that zodiac through thick and thin, why couldn't he keep her?

He made a decision, grabbed his coat, and hurried out the door.

* * *

3 hours and 8 beers later Lorelai and Christopher lay stretched out on the couch. But they were not stretched out in a sexual way; things had yet to become anything less then innocent. Their senses were numbed, their adrenaline was pumping high and they were immersed in each other's presence, so to speak. 

"So that waaaaaas it- Me and Lukey kaput," Lorelai drawled. "No poodles and white picket fence for us, just a kick in the ass and two bruised roses…..you know what they say, love can build the biggest boat."

Christoper cawed like a crow, in hysterical acknowledgement.

"I don't think that's it Lor."

"Whatever. I'm moving on. I did love him. I do, but now I've got you to love, right?"

The majority of beers had been Lorelai's- her five to Chris's three. There was no doubt that she was twice as hammered as he. He gulped. He didn't know what to say to that. He doubted that she remembered the little scene at the wedding, that which had undoubtedly distanced Luke from her. "Lorelai and I belong together!" he had meant it with all of his heart. Yet, right now, that seemed to have slipped her mind, so he decided to play it safe.

"Love as family knows how."

Lorelai looked up. She met is eyes evenly, "Christopherrrrrr….don't say that. I'm not a big fan of incest. Plus I've told you soooo many times, you're the first man I ever loved- and well- that- it- never really stops.."

She was cut off by a ring. She ignored it, as did he. He was eager to see where she was taking this, he had hoped against hope that she would be able to accept his feelings and run with them. Now, she was doing just that. He knew it was probably a drunken blunder, but it was interesting none the less. The doorbell rang again. She stretched like a lazy feline. It rang a third time, a fourth, a fifth. These were urgent rings.

Lorelai ignored them. She had no time for urgent rings. She was in the middle of something urgent herself.

"The thing- the thing is- Chris- do you want to know what the thing is? I never stopped loving you. Well….I did stop loving you…but you were always there…in the back of my head…I mean- there's Luke…but you were there too a tiny presence…and I could never choose between yooooou twoooo- my diner hunk- the most caring man in the world…or you- with roots back to the teenage years of hell…..well- I think……I think I've…hahahaha. Yeah. That's it. I've decided. It's you Chris, damn Sherry with her stupid Paris and stupid ringy voice…she didn't see it, but I KNOW I know you stillllllll love me, the wedding proved that….so here's to you Chris."

She leaned forward, and kissed him then. Her drunken world shone rainbow colors as he didn't pull away. She loved…..no…. never mind who she loved. She focused on…kissing…kissing is good….kissing …it didn't require thought.

In the back of her mind she heard a door shut. She heard footsteps in the hall and she heard the sway of some annoying plaid material…

She broke away from Chris.

"Luke."

* * *

AN: I know it's painful. It was painful for me to write but it all goes up hill from here, please review, and not with "I hate it because Luke and Lorelai aren't together." That's not very good constructive criticism :0) I promise, the next chapter is full of LL luvin, I've got it all planned out in my head! 


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